By the time Yoru got home, it was already night.
One thing made him smack his thigh in frustration—he hadn't gotten a clear look at Phoenix's Destruction technique. If he had, he could've copied it.
Don't underestimate just one move.
The benefits were huge. Destruction was an extension of the Glowing Shot. Copying Destruction would mean mastering the Glowing Shot by default—essentially grasping the perfect sweet spot without Ryoma having to put in the effort.
For a second, he felt like rushing to Mochinofuji to find Phoenix.
But before that, there was something else Yoru wanted to figure out.
After dinner, QP started catching up on his training for the day.
Yoru sought out Nanjiro and asked, "Old man, I need to ask you something."
Nanjiro, who had been stuffing a magazine into his waistband, blinked. "Huh?"
"Something happened today..."
Yoru explained how Oni Juujirou had stepped into the Asura Path and mentioned the unstable factors he'd observed.
"Losing control is normal," Nanjiro shrugged, completely unfazed.
"There are two ways to enter the Asura Path."
"The first method is for those whose base five stats meet the requirements. If their mental strength is high enough, they can open it through meditation."
"There's a master in Gyoshuu Town named Magatou who teaches a meditation method to find a cave in the spiritual world. At the deepest part of that cave is a gate."
"Only those with the right qualifications can push open that gate—and it's hard. And by qualifications, I don't just mean talent. It's about playing style, understanding of tennis, and unbreakable determination."
"Opening this gate grants the ability to freely activate the Asura Path, which is also a core element of deeper Zone-level divine techniques."
Nanjiro paused before continuing.
"As for the second method, it's what you saw today—realizing the existence of hell but still pushing forward with unwavering resolve. The intense mental stimulation temporarily boosts the spirit, forcing open the gates of the Asura Path."
"But without meditation training, this kind of Asura Path remains uncontrollable. It only activates when mental stimulation reaches a peak."
So that's why!
Yoru finally understood the connection he hadn't pieced together before.
No wonder, in the original series, only Byoudouin Phoenix, Duke Watanabe, and later Tokugawa could freely use the Asura Path.
Because only Phoenix and Tokugawa had undergone meditation training, they could activate it at will to aid their battles.
As for Duke Watanabe—though the series never showed him meditating, as Phoenix's right-hand man, he'd probably trained in it too. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to freely enter the Asura Path.
Players like Ryoma, Oni Juujirou, and Akutsu Jin? Their Asura Path was purely situational—only activating when mentally stimulated.
Yoru pressed further:
"So, only those who've trained in meditation can freely use the Asura Path to summon their Other Dimension in battle?"
Nanjiro blinked. "What Other Dimension?"
"You know, that effect I described—like a spectral projection, a ghostly influence."
Yoru gestured vaguely.
Nanjiro rolled his eyes. "Kid, you've got it all wrong. The Asura Path's manifestation is a mental projection, not some Other Dimension. Other Dimension is just a term for sheer power!"
"Huh?!"
Yoru froze.
Nanjiro explained:
"Other Dimension refers to a title for overwhelming strength or technique. For example, your Supreme Zone could be considered Other Dimension-level power."
"Wait, what?!"
Yoru's mind reeled. His entire understanding had just been flipped upside down.
But if he thought about Nanjiro's explanation…
Everything that didn't make sense in Prince of Tennis suddenly clicked.
Borg—someone who walked a completely different path from the Asura Path—was called an Other Dimension powerhouse.
In the original series, during Phoenix and Oni's first match, Phoenix said:
"Through this life-or-death match with you, I've attained power from the Other Dimension."
At that time, Phoenix hadn't even started meditation training, let alone opened the gates to the Other Dimension.
Additionally, Tokugawa's Black Hole technique was also labeled Other Dimension.
There were plenty of other examples.
Putting it all together, Other Dimension was just a term for overwhelming power—not the mental projection itself.
If Other Dimension was the projection, then Tokugawa's later projection (which wasn't Black Hole but the Buddhist Asura) wouldn't make any sense.
"Damn… so that's how it is."
Yoru finally understood.
Once he stepped into the Asura Path, he wondered what his mental projection would be. The thought made him curious.
But Nanjiro gave him a strange look.
"Kid, you're not thinking of trying to open the Asura Path, are you? Even if your path could lead there, wouldn't that be spreading yourself too thin?"
"Nah, nah. In this world, more skills mean more options~"
"Tch…"
Seeing Yoru's carefree attitude, Nanjiro swallowed his warnings.
Maybe he sensed it too—whether he advised against it or not, Yoru would walk this path eventually.
All that was left was to see how fate played out.
---
Time flew.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. The National Tournament was now less than three days away.
Everyone was ready.
After a month of intense training, the Seigaku team had undergone a dramatic evolution.
Starting with doubles—
Yamato and Kawasaki had mastered numerous advanced positioning tactics, and their synergy had improved significantly.
Lately, they'd been crushing Kaido's doubles pair in practice.
Of course, Kaido's team wasn't weak either. Rumor had it they were on the verge of unlocking the Synchro state—they just needed the right trigger.
As for Kiriya—
Thanks to growth spurts and relentless training, his base stats had reached the upper tier of 8-star, with actual combat ability easily surpassing 9-star.
QP, also benefiting from physical development, had broken into the upper 9-star range, with real combat power breezing past 10-star.
Yoru had put in some effort too, refining all his techniques.
Aside from Muga no Kyouchi and Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami, every other skill had reached Lv. 10 (the former two were at Lv. 9).
Unfortunately, his base stats only rose to mid-tier 11-star. Most techniques didn't contribute much to growth past 10-star.
The gap between each star rank had widened significantly.
QP's progress no longer gave Yoru the same explosive boosts as before—proof of that.
One more thing worth mentioning—
Ryoma had returned to the U.S.
Before leaving, under Nanjiro's stunned gaze, Yoru handed Ryoma a cross-shaped racket and gave him solemn instructions.
Since QP pursued Perfect Tennis, he'd never train for sweet spots.
That responsibility fell squarely on Little Ryoma's shoulders.
Even if Yoru could copy the technique later, he'd likely need Ryoma's practice to refine the mastery.
Why?
Because sweet spot training was a lifelong endeavor.
You could get infinitely close to the perfect point—but never 100%.
Yoru didn't have the patience for that.